The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design of a Play is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.
The award was established in 1980, with the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design being presented each year to any play or musical production. Starting in 2010, the singular award was replaced by separate play and musical categories.
Four individuals hold the record for most wins in the category--Fitz Patton, Gareth Fry, Paul Arditti and Ben and Max Ringham--with two each. For nominations, Bray Poor, Gareth Fry and Tom Gibbons hold the record for most nominations with four each.
Winners and nominees Key
2010s Year Designer Production Ref. 2010 Fitz Patton When the Rain Stops Falling Dan Bianchi and Wes Shippee Frankenstein Dale Bigall Underground Adam Cork ENRON Lindsay Jones Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers Elizabeth Rhodes John Ball's In the Heat of the Night 2011 Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo |align=center rowspan=6| |- | Acme Sound Partners | The Merchant of Venice |- | Ian Dickinson | John Gabriel Borkman |- | Brett Jarvis | Baby Universe |- | Bray Poor | Wings |- | Eric Shimelonis | The Hallway Trilogy |- ! rowspan="7"| 2012 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | John Gromada| The Best Man Quentin Chiappetta The Navigator Gregory Clarke Misterman Gareth Fry Richard III Stowe Nelson Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War Shane Rettig She Kills Monsters 2013 Mel Mercier The Testament of Mary |rowspan=6| |- | Ien DeNio | The Pilo Family Circus |- | Steve Fontaine | Last Man Club |- | Christian Frederickson | Through the Yellow Hour |- | Lindsay Jones | Wild With Happy |- | Fergus O'Hare | Macbeth |- ! rowspan="7"| 2014 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Matt Tierney| Machinal |align=center rowspan=6| |- | M.L. Dogg | The Open House |- | Katie Down | The Golden Dragon |- | Paul James Prendergast | All the Way |- | Dan Moses Schreier | Act One |- | Christopher Shutt | Love and Information |- ! rowspan="7"| 2015 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Ian Dickinson| The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Nathan Davis The Other Mozart Ien Denio Deliverance Gareth Fry Let the Right One In John Gromada Lives of the Saints (an anthology of short plays by David Ives) Matt Tierney Our Lady of Kibeho 2016 Fitz Patton The Humans Fitz Patton An Act of God Miles Polaski Fulfillment Bray Poor John Ryan Rumery Empanada Loca2017Gareth Fry and Pete MalkinThe Encounter Mikhail FikselA LifeBrian QuijadaWhere Did We Sit on the Bus?Leon RothenbergNotes from the FieldJane ShawMen on Boats2018Gareth FryHarry Potter and the Cursed Child Brendan AanesBallsTom Gibbons1984 People, Places and ThingsStefan GregoryYermaPalmer HefferanToday is My Birthday2019 Nick Powell The Ferryman Tyler Kieffer Plano Fitz Patton Choir Boy Jane Shaw I Was Most Alive with You Mikaal Sulaiman Fairview
2020s Year Designer Production Ref. 2020 Paul Arditti and Christopher Reid The Inheritance Justin Ellington Heroes of the Fourth Turning Mikhail Fiksel Dana H. Palmer Hefferan Fefu and Her Friends Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada Is This A Room 2021 colspan="2" 2022 Ben and Max Ringham Cyrano de Bergerac Tyler Kieffer Seven Deadly Sins Hidenori Nakajo and Ryan Rumery Autumn Royal Mikaal Sulaiman Sanctuary City Lee Kinney Selling Kabul 2023Ben & Max RinghamA Doll's HouseJustin EllingtonOhio State MurdersTom GibbonsHamletJosh Anio GriggLoveLee Kinney & Daniel KlugerYou Will Get SickMikaal SulaimanFat Ham 2024Ryan RumeryStereophonicAdam CorkThe HuntTom GibbonsGrey HousePalmer HefferanThe ComeuppanceBray Poor and Will PickensAppropriate2025 Paul Arditti Stranger Things: The First Shadow Johnny Gasper Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbian Erotica in the Woods Matt Otto All of Me Bray Poor Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp. Clemence Williams The Picture of Dorian Gray Fan Zhang Good Bones2026Tom GibbonsOedipusCaroline EngThe UnknownAngela BaughmanInitiativeKieran LucasWeather GirlNevin SteinbergAnna ChristieGiles ThomasKenrex
Multiple wins 2 wins Fitz Patton Gareth Fry Paul Arditti Ben and Max Ringham
Multiple nominations 4 nominations Bray Poor Gareth Fry Tom Gibbons
3 nominations Ryan Rumery Mikaal Sulaiman Lee Kinney Palmer Hefferan
2 nominations Fitz Patton Adam Cork Lindsay Jones Acme Sound Partners Ian Dickinson John Gromada Ien DeNio Matt Tierney Mikhail Fiksel Paul Arditti Tyler Kieffer Ben and Max Ringham
See also Laurence Olivier Award for Best Sound Design Tony Award for Best Sound Design Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Sound Design Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Sound Design
References
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